1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to display systems of the type commonly used at trade shows, conventions and in public areas to display goods or offer services for sale and which define a display area and separate it from the display areas of other vendors.
2. Description of Related Art
Trade shows and conventions have become an important avenue for introducing new products and services to potential customers. Vendors have a need for a reliable display system that can be quickly assembled and disassembled to establish a display area. The display system must be easily transportable between display locations, must be structurally sound, self supporting and adaptable to produce differently shaped display areas to accommodate varying requirements at different exhibition venues.
It is highly desirable for the display system to define the display area as a booth or enclosure with walls providing vertical display areas on the inside and outside wall surfaces. The walls must provide support for vertical displays having significant weight, but it is desirable to minimize the weight and size of the structure itself to simplify transportation. Simultaneously, it is desirable for the display area floor plan to be adjustable during assembly to refine the shape and size of the display area.
A further need is to have a display system that provides power for lighting, animated displays, computer systems and the like, and which allows communication or other control cables to be positioned out of the way of people moving within the display area.
Display systems that are presently available fail to meet many of these requirements. Current display systems that provide vertical display space use partition walls. Partition wall systems tend to be heavy and difficult to adjust during assembly because the entire partition wall must be moved or repositioned each time a change is desired. Another difficulty with partition wall systems is the lack of integrated electrical wiring. Consequently, electrical cables and any specialized communication or control cables must be strung after the display is set up, and the cables become a tripping hazard.
Another difficulty with partition walls systems is that some designs do not accommodate connections between the walls at all angles. In some designs only ninety degree angles or straight line connections are allowed between the walls. In those designs which do provide angular connection capability between the partitions, the partitions often cannot be connected in acute angles, i.e. less than ninety degrees.
A further problem with partition wall systems is that some are not designed to be free standing and need connection to adjacent walls in order to achieve rigidity. Those designs that do permit a single partition wall to free-stand must have support legs for each wall. The support legs interfere with storage of the walls during transport, and seldom provide the desired stability for the wall.
Yet another problem is that the height of the walls in prior art partition wall display systems is limited, principally due to weight considerations. It is also difficult to construct openings in the display area other than by omitting a complete partition wall.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a display system which is modular and constructable in portions, including a first lower portion allowing the outline of the display area to be positioned and adjusted, followed by a light-weight but structurally sound vertical portion to define the walls of the display area.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a display system which includes integrated power and includes room for additional control cables and/or communications cables.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a display system that provides for back illuminated displays.
A further object of the invention is to provide a display system that allows the attachment of various display accessories.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a display system that allows multiple walls to connect together at a single point in a star configuration and which allows walls to connect at any desired angle, including acute angles.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.